140 THE GARDENER. [March 



How oft, when autumn daylight in the west 



Was blended with the City's lurid flare, 



Pale cheeks and aching brows thy flowers have blest, 

 That breathed a breath of Nature and her rest, 



On brains o'erwearied with law's cark and care. 



Farewell to thee, kind, honest, old Sam Broome, 



In boutons d'or above thee bloom the mould — 

 No London smoke distress thee in the tomb, 

 And whosoe'er i' the Temple fills thy room, 



May the new Broom sweep clean as did the old. 



— Punch. 



NOTES ANT> QUERIES. 



[We regret that an unusual press of matter compels us to postpone many 

 valuable communications. — Eds.] 



Ladybirds: A New Insecticide. — During last summer the public attention 

 was drawn to the large flights of these little insects that appeared in many parts 

 of England, and especially the attention of horticulturists, many of whom, from 

 a close observation of their habits, came to the conclusion, that as destroyers of 

 the green aphis their services would be invaluable. The writer of this paragraph 

 himself put their uses in this respect to the test, and found that in every case 

 when placed upon plants infested with green-fly, the Ladybirds made a complete 

 clearance of the pest. Bearing this experience in mind, he has this season already 

 commenced to be a ladybird-catcher ; and as they are even now to be found in 

 considerable abundance on warm sunny days, the task of gathering these useful 

 insects is not one of great difficulty. As fast as they are collected they are placed 

 in the greenhouse amongst the plants, especially around the Calceolarias and 

 Cinerarias, and the writer hopes thereby to keep the pest of green-fly entirely 

 under. Will any one else attempt the same experiment, and, as I intend to do 

 myself, duly report progress in the ' Gardener ' ? A. D. 



Creepers for a Conservatory (G. V.) — Messrs E. G. Henderson & Son, 

 Wellington Road Nursery, St John's Wood, N.W., have been kind enough to 

 send us the following list of "spare-growing, free-blossoming creepers" as suit- 

 able for your purpose — viz. : 1. Abutilon striatum, orange and brown; 2. Acacia 

 dealbata, golden yellow; 3. Bignonia jasminoides splendens, blush pink, and dark 

 centre; 4. Bignonia speciosa, pink, with violet lines; 5. Dolichus lignosus, rose; 

 6. Hoya carnosa, white, tinted blush; 7. Jasminum azoricum, white ; 8. Jasminum 

 grandiflorum, white; 9. Keunedya monophylla, violet purple; 10. Lapageria 

 rosea, carmine rose; 11. Passiflora Marryattse, reddish rose; 12. Plumbago Cap- 

 ensis, light porcelain blue; 13. Rhyncospermum jasminoides, white; 14. Sollya 

 heterophylla, blue; and, 15. Passiflora hybrida floribunda, purplish lilac. They 

 recommend the foregoing as a list of sparingly - branched climbers, free from 

 exuberant growth, and including several old species ; all of which are free bloom- 

 ing in mature growth. No. 2 is elegant in habit of foliage, and requires age and 

 lateral growth to produce flowers. Nos. 3, 6/9, 10, and 13 are strictly evergreen; 

 and numbers 4, 8, and 14, sub-evergreen. Nos. 7, 8, and 13 produce fragrant 

 blossoms. Nos. 6 and 8 should be placed in the warmest positions ; Nos. 7, 8, 



